Drag saw



,Dm 25, w23.

R. Hv. MCDONALD DRAG SAW Filed Dec, 23lk 19 2 sheets-sheet:

A TTORNEYS De@ 25, w23. m4783573 R. H. MCDONALD 'DRAG sAw Filed Dec. 25. 1920 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Mmmm Patented Dee, Z5, 19230 l TT RALPH HOLMES MCDONALD, 0F SCID, OREGON.

DRAG SAW.

Application led December 23, 1920. Serial No. 432,721.

To all whom it may concern.:

Be it known that l, RALPH HOLMES Mo- DONALD, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Scio, in the county of Linn and State of Oregon, have invented a new and Improved Drag Saw, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to drag saws, my more particular purpose being to provide mechanism, carried by the saw iframe, for facilitating the handling of the saw frame and the parts immediately associated therewith. l

More particularly stated, I seek to provide mechanism and so mount the same upon the saw frame as to enable the operator to easily shift the iframe from one position to another relative to a log or the like to be sawed, without exerting undue muscular energy and without excessive waste of time.

l further seek to prevent the accidental movement or' the saw carriage while the device is in action in sawing. A

lnaddition, l seek to prevent excessive vibratory movement ot' various parts of the device as the-carriage is being shifted from one position to another or is being moved along a road.

Finally, I seek to produce various improvements in the mechanism of the saw and various parts for actuating or otherwise controlling the same,

Reference is made to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this application and in which like reierencevcharacters indicate like parts throughout the several figures.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the framework of the mechanism in position for sawing the last out or twoof the log, the saw blade being shown as broken away;

Figure 2 is a plan view of the mechanism as shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a section showing a part of the means for locking the axle ci the machine against rotation.

Figure 4lis a perspective oi a leather stra-p used as shown in Figure 2, t'or steadying certain parts of the apparatus while the carriage is being moved. A f

Figure 5 is a plan view of the mechanism showingvit as in condition to be dragged or trundled along a road. i

Figure 6 is a plan view of the framework as the same appears when the parts are ready for sawing. i

The truck or carriage wheels of the device are indicated by reference numerals 6 and 7, and they are to be detachably mounted on the removable axle 8, being held in place the-reon by linch or othersuitable pins 8"L which pass through the axle on each side of the wheels, through openings drilled in the axle for that purpose. This axle extends through bearings 9 and 10 carried respecively by frame beams 11 and 12 having together the ll-form as indicated more particularly in Figure 2. The frame beams 11 and l2 are also connected to a plate 13 of massive form. A Hoor-board 14 extends 'from one of the frame beams to the other, and a short beam 15 extends from the iioor board 14 to the frame beam 11.

The frame beams 11 and 12 are provided respectively with skid shoes 16 17, secured upon the undersides of these beams, and each located near one end of the beam, as shown in Figure 2. These skid shoes are for the purpose of providing the frame beams with slidable bearings at the points where the beams rest upon the log t0 be sawed. The skid shoes also prevent undue wear or the iframework, and in addition act to some extent as anchorages, for the purpose or preventing accidental misplacement f the framework relative to the log'. The frame beams 11 are, further, provided with side plates 18, 19, and extending from these side plates are links 20, 21, each having the form of a flat bar. These links are pivot-ally connected to the side plates 18, 19, and to the frame beams by pivot pins 22, 23, serving practically the purpose of journals for supporting the links 20, 21. These links are, further, provided with dogs 211, 25, for engaging the log to be sawed, the log appearing at 27.

The pivot pins 22 engage side plates 26 through which they extend, as may be understood from Figure 2, the pivot pins thus each being` provided with a good support.

T he links 20, 2i, are swung up and down as occasion may require', in order that the dogs 24, 25, or either of them, may be brought in engagement with the log to be operated upon. llVhen not in active use the links 20, 21, rest idly upon the skid shoes 16, 17, and are thus prevented from swinging downwardly or getting in the way of other parts.

A motor 28 vis connected with a fuel tank 28a which rests upon the door-board' le Yand is thereby supported. rlhe motor 23 is in this instance an internal combustion engine, It is provided withl a crank casing 29, and extending through this crank lsing is n. shaft carrying the` Flywheel 31. and a sprocket wheel 32. Engaging this sprocket Wheel is a sprocket chain 33 which also engages a larger sprocket wheel 34, the latter being mounted rigidly upon a revoluble shaft 35 journaled upon the frame work. Mounted rigidly upon the revoluble shaft is a crank 36, and journaled to this crank is a pitman 37 which is connected with the saw head 38 and thus coupled in operative relation to the saw blade 39. Located adjacent the pitman 37 are gui-de bars 4() 41 upon which the saw head 38 is mounted to slide in the usual or any desired'manner.

Secured rigidly upon the saw head 38 is a stirrup 42 which detachably engages the `upper end portion of a brace bar 43, this barV being pivotally mounted upon a pin 44 carried by the trame beam 12. The lbrace bar 43 is, used for the purpose of: holding the saw head 38, together With the saw blade and parts immediately adjacent thereto, in the respective positions indicated in Figure 1. The parts are arranged as just described when the device is to be transported from one point to another. In order to prevent the saw vblade from swinging sid'ewise, and in fact to prevent various movable parts adjacent the saw blade from being shifted in Y position accidentally, I provide the strap 49 connected as indicated in Fig. 2.

leather or rawhide, and secured upon any y convenient part of' the ra'meworlnor on Vany metallicvpart suitable for the purpose. and

brought. around the guide bars 40 41. lV ith this strap inl position and properly tightened, the device may be rolled alongover the ground and the saw blade is unable to give trouble by swingingv sidewise, The

brace bar 43 prevents the saw blade andl forming a bearing` for supporting tliefhand lever. The anged `ground wheel 46 is journaled upon the axle portion "L of the hand lever. The operator by grasping the outer or tree end ci the hand .lever can rock' this lever as a whole So as to Yraise the framework of the machine, which thereupon for a moment rests upon the carriage wheels 6 7,'

as may be understood from Fig. l.

,The operator bymanlpulating vthe hand lever- 45, can alsoraise the ad;ac entV or rear end portion of the kframe, and in so doing TheV strap 49 is simplyl a'beltlike strap, made of can exert considerable leverage upon this frame s o as to raise the carriage wheels 6, 7 clear of vthe ground.

ln Fig. 3 l show the means whereby the removable axle 3 may be locked rigidly in position. The bearings 9 l() are substantially alike, and only the bearing l() will be described. This bearing is held in position upon the lran'ie beam 12 by means o1 pins 49a, as shown in Fig. 3 upon the frame beam l2 by means o1 pi-ns. A rod 50 extends through a hole in thebearing 10 and is provided with a threaded portion 5l upon which fits a revoluble nut 52. The rod 50 is further lprovided with a hook-shaped portion 53 which engages the removable axle'3 and may be used for pressing this axle against the adjacent' lower end portion of the bearing 10. The hook-shaped portion 53 extends into a hole 54Y WithYw-,hich `the bearing Vl() is provided.

The operator, by turning the nut 52, can raise or lower the, rod 50, and in doing this hecan .tighten the axle 8 or loosen the' same, relative to the bearing 110, as may be understood from 3. There being two of the bearings 9 and' 10, the removable axle 8 can be gripped tightly at two distinct points.

To permit removal of the Vaxle 8, the hooks 53 are lowered to position indicatedin dotted lines Fig. 3.

The operation of my device is as follows: The parts being assembled and" arranged, as shown and above described, the device ready Vtor use. l Y i ln order to convey the mechanism alongthe road, the operator can simply grasp the hand lever 45 and by tilting the mechanism to balanceit upon the carriage wheels 6, 7 and pullingon the hand lever can .trundle the entire mechanism along the road with comparatively little manual Ve'tlort, as may be understood from Fig. 5. Y

Having arrived at the log to be sauf'ed the machine is backed up to the log and the lever, or ground wheel4 end of the frame lowered to the ground thereby raising the skid shoes 16, 17 and dogs 24, 25, vup toward the top ot the log. Now take hold of large truclr wheels and roll them ahead until thek dogsare at the right position over log;l then drive the dogs into the log so as tohold the same rigidly in position. This done, the axle 8 and truck VWheels 6V and 7. are talren ed', and the machine set in position all ready `tor sawing. Uponireachinglthelajst cut or two to be sawed itY will ordinarily be itoundthat there is no. space on the log) or support vlett for that part of the mach-ine opposite thesaur, as the machine is always moved to the left andthe dogs'that hold it fast are attached. te theman part of. the leaend notte thwart-to be. cut Off. Topmvide for this, replace a.:\:le8"in p QSLionr as for transporting, except that the right"hand llO end must come just flush with the right hand side of the frame, or so that it will not project and interfere with the working of the saw, and then clamp said axle 8 tight in the bearings 9 and l0 by tightening down the nuts 52 on the hooked rods 50. The wheel 6 is then placed on the left hand end of the axle, as indicated in Fig. 2, and the machine put in position where it is wished to saw, whereupon the left hand part of the machine will extend beyond the end of the log and is supported by the axle 8 and wheel 6; then drive the dog 25 into the log and saw just as if the entire machine were supported or dogged to the log.

In order to shift the carriage from one part of the log to another part, so that a new cut can be made, the operator uses the hand lever 45. By turning this lever into the position indicated in Fig. 6, he raises the entire weight of the machine7 except what is borne by the log. The shifting of the machine as a whole, from cut to cut of they log, is a comparatively easy matter. The end of the machine adjacent the log is shifted by first shifting the end in immediate engagement with the log to a new position upon the log, and then following` this movement by shifting the rear end of the machine by aid of the ground wheel 4:6, as above described.

It sometimes happens that in sawing a log into short pieces, there is difficulty in sawing the last one or two cuts, owing tothe lack of a suitable rest for the framework of the machine; that is tol say, the log becomes too short to a'ord a good mounting for the framework of the machine during the time while the last cut or two is being made. In this event, as hereinbefore stated, I support the left side of the .framework upon the axle 8 and carriage wheel 6, and by clamping the axle and wheel in place the support for the saw is rendered sufficiently rigid and firm for all practical purposes. In other words, it is not necessary for'the framework to rest upon both of the carriage wheels 6, 7, while the last cut or two is being made.

I do not limit myself to the precise mechanism shown, as variations may be made therefrom within the spirit of my invention, the scope of which is commensurate with my claims:

Having thus described my invention7 what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is as follows:

l. In a drag saw, the combination of a V frame comprising a pair of frame beams, askid shoe mounted upon each of said frame beams and extending laterally therefrom, a pair of links journaled upon said frame beams and disposed adjacent said skid shoes so that said links may be rested upon said skid shoes, and dogs carried by said links for the purpose of engaging a log to be sawed.

2. In a drag saw the combination of a carriage provided with frame beams for engaging at their front ends a log to be sawed,

a hand lever journaled at the rear end of carriage, whereby the weight rests upon the ground wheel and longitudinal shifting of the carriage prevented.

3. In a drag saw, the combination of a carriage provided with portions for resting upon a log to be sawed and movable longitudinally thereof, means for supporting the carriage at its rear end on the ground and holding it against said movement, and a flanged wheeled mechanism operable at the will of the operator and connected with said carriage at its rear end for lifting the weight of said carriage off of said means in order to facilitate shifting the position of said carriage along to the log to be sawed.

4:. In a drag saw the combination of a frame, mechanism carried by said frame for engaging a log to be sawed, carriage wheels connected with said frame for normally supporting the weight thereof, a transverse ground wheel at the rear end of the frame, mechanism connected with said ground wheel and with said carriage frame and operable at the will of the operator for forcing said ground wheel against the ground in order to raise the adjacent or rear end of said carriage frame, and a sawing mechanism mounted upon the said carriage frame for sawing a log.

RALPH HOLMES MDONALD. 

